When a power supplying apparatus (an apparatus supplying power to an electronic apparatus, such as an adaptor) is connected to an electronic apparatus, it may be connected to the electronic apparatus by a magnetic connector.
As an example of the magnetic connector for supplying power, there is a magnetic connector (hereinafter, referred to as a ‘magnetic connector according to the related art’) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,526 B2 (registered on Dec. 25, 2007).
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a magnetic connector according to the related art.
The magnetic connector is coupled by magnetic attractive force between magnets 130 and 170 mounted therein. Here, contact pins 120 of the magnetic connector may contact contact terminals 160 of an opposite side to transfer power or a signal. In addition, elastic parts such as springs 122 are installed below the contact pins 120 in order to allow the contact pins 120 to certainly contact the contact terminals at the time of coupling the magnetic connector.
When the power is supplied through the magnetic connector, a spark is generated at the moment at which a power terminal (a contact terminal supplying the power) of the power supplying apparatus contacts a power terminal of the electronic apparatus, thereby making it possible to damage the apparatus. Therefore, it is preferable that the power supplying apparatus starts to supply the power after a contact between the power supplying apparatus and the electronic apparatus is made. To this end, a means capable of confirming the contact with the electronic apparatus is required in the power supplying apparatus. In the power supplying apparatus according to the related art, a separate signal terminal S is installed in addition to two power supplying terminals V+ and V−, and it is confirmed through the signal terminal whether or not the contact with the electronic apparatus was made. Here, as a method of conforming whether or not the contact with the electronic apparatus was made, a method of confirming whether or not the contact with the electronic apparatus was made by performing data communication through the signal terminal S, a method of deciding that the contact with the electronic apparatus was made when a current or a voltage is measured through the signal terminal S, or the like, has been used.
However, when the separate signal terminal S is installed in addition to the power supplying terminals V+ and V−, a structure of the magnetic connector becomes complicated, and the magnetic connector may not be easily miniaturized.